LopeHunter
Well-known member
My in-laws grew up around Helena, MT, then moved to the West Coast after his Korean War service. Way back in 1987, I met my future father-in-law, Bob, and was the first hunter his Los Angeles daughter had dated so he was thrilled. Bob had grown up hunting so suggested we go on an elk hunt in Montana. I had grown up in the Midwest before relocating to CA. I had not yet been on an elk hunt but wanted to since my grandfather passed away prior to taking me to CO which he had done with my two older siblings as they each had turned 18. The largest things I had hunted were whitetails and Eastern turkeys.
I began to do some research for the elk hunt which was not as easy as today now that there are online resources. The next weekend I shared what I had learned and later that afternoon Bob began to call friends from his school days. He had a little pocket notebook with 100s if not 1000s of names, addresses and phone numbers. The first call resulted in finding out a friend had died of cancer a decade prior. The next call revealed his friend was in assisted living. No answer the 3rd call. The fourth call got through to a friend but was on oxygen and had not hunted for years. Bob looked as if he had gotten kicked in the gut. These were friends from high school. Close friends back in the day. Our adventure had hit bump in the road.
Bob's wife pulled me aside after dinner that evening and said I should drop the elk idea as Bob was too old to be climbing around the mountains. He smoked two packs a day. He liked his vodka in evenings. Carried a bit of extra weight. Had not shot a rifle in 25 years.
The elk adventure was revisited off and on but never got off the ground. We did make three summer family trips to Helena to visit with friends and relatives but never hunted together. I began to draw some tags for Western hunts and Bob would cheer me on as we discussed the details.
Bob passed away 20 years later having not fired his rifle for the prior five decades. His wife passed away a year ago.
I drew a MT pronghorn tag this year for unit a couple of hours north of Helena. I passed though Helena during the drive. I was thinking back to those summer visits to Helena and wondered how old I was back then and how old Bob was. I realized I am the age now as when I met Bob. Dang, how did that happen in a blink of an eye?
Season had been open a couple of weeks in the unit and had 3 hours before sunset so I decided to go check out one of the unit's Block Management parcels. Once I left the paved road to travel up from the south along Birdtail Road there was a crest. The downhill side of the hill was slick due to the frozen road being partially thawed so I slid a bit this way then that way until got to the bottom where was boggy and rutted. Not much fun but did not get stuck and never got to look around the Block Management parcel that evening. Imagine this sort of road.
I knew things would dry out but for now needed a Plan B for the morning.
I began to do some research for the elk hunt which was not as easy as today now that there are online resources. The next weekend I shared what I had learned and later that afternoon Bob began to call friends from his school days. He had a little pocket notebook with 100s if not 1000s of names, addresses and phone numbers. The first call resulted in finding out a friend had died of cancer a decade prior. The next call revealed his friend was in assisted living. No answer the 3rd call. The fourth call got through to a friend but was on oxygen and had not hunted for years. Bob looked as if he had gotten kicked in the gut. These were friends from high school. Close friends back in the day. Our adventure had hit bump in the road.
Bob's wife pulled me aside after dinner that evening and said I should drop the elk idea as Bob was too old to be climbing around the mountains. He smoked two packs a day. He liked his vodka in evenings. Carried a bit of extra weight. Had not shot a rifle in 25 years.
The elk adventure was revisited off and on but never got off the ground. We did make three summer family trips to Helena to visit with friends and relatives but never hunted together. I began to draw some tags for Western hunts and Bob would cheer me on as we discussed the details.
Bob passed away 20 years later having not fired his rifle for the prior five decades. His wife passed away a year ago.
I drew a MT pronghorn tag this year for unit a couple of hours north of Helena. I passed though Helena during the drive. I was thinking back to those summer visits to Helena and wondered how old I was back then and how old Bob was. I realized I am the age now as when I met Bob. Dang, how did that happen in a blink of an eye?
Season had been open a couple of weeks in the unit and had 3 hours before sunset so I decided to go check out one of the unit's Block Management parcels. Once I left the paved road to travel up from the south along Birdtail Road there was a crest. The downhill side of the hill was slick due to the frozen road being partially thawed so I slid a bit this way then that way until got to the bottom where was boggy and rutted. Not much fun but did not get stuck and never got to look around the Block Management parcel that evening. Imagine this sort of road.
I knew things would dry out but for now needed a Plan B for the morning.
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